


Fantastically Normal

by cinderfell



Category: Critical Role (Web Series)
Genre: Bisexuality, F/M, discussion of sexuality
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-06
Updated: 2017-06-06
Packaged: 2018-11-09 15:46:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,743
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11107722
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cinderfell/pseuds/cinderfell
Summary: Percy has a thing or two to get off his chest and luckily Vex has a few reassurances for him.





	Fantastically Normal

**Author's Note:**

> happy pride month! and also happy birthday to me! i treated myself by finishing this bi percy fic bc as a bi person, bi percy means a lot to me and so does vex being the Experienced Bi helping her boyfriend out

They're laying in bed together when it comes up, both reading their respective books-- a heavy tome in Celestial for Percy that Vex obviously can't understand, a book on the ancient creatures that used to roam the area Whitestone was built on for Vex-- with Vex's hand loosely holding onto his.

She feels him get nervous, the way she always does when he starts getting stressed out. He's been holding his book open but he hasn't turned the page in nearly seven minutes, his eyes not moving across the lines. She squeezes his hand and it briefly calms him but not for long. This isn't a mood swing bout of anxiety, she realizes before he's even said anything, this is anxiety from him needing to say something and trying to work up to it.

"I need to tell you something," he blurts out finally. She looks over at him and he quickly says, "I mean-- I need to ask you something. Tell? Ask? Both. I need to ask and tell you something."

 _Hoo boy_ , Vex thinks.

"Of course, darling," she says instantly, trying to use her most reassuring voice. "You know you can tell me anything-- and ask me anything, for that matter."

"Alright," he says, still sounding unsure of himself. "What if-- what if I've been--" He shakes his head, seeming to abandon that attempt to vocalize his thoughts before he starts over. "If I've been thinking other people are attractive, does that make me an awful significant other?"

That knocks her off guard, surprising a laugh out of her before she realizes that he's serious and incredibly jumpy. She sobers up immediately. "Of course not, Percy. Not unless you were doing anything, of course, but I doubt you were."

"No," he says quickly. "I've just... been looking."

"I'm perfectly fine with you thinking other women are attractive, Percy."

He rubs at his jaw. "It's not that simple, Vex."

Now, Vex likes to think she's very perceptive-- hells, she knows she is. She's guessed what Percy's about to say half a dozen times but has kept it to herself as not to pressure him. That said, she would have to be very blind or very stupid not to notice the way Percy sometimes looks at other men.

He rarely looks at anybody the way he looks at her-- and she's very pleased by that, especially so because when he does, it's not nearly as awestruck and fond as when he looks at her-- so she doesn't see it often, much less with men, but it's caught her eye.

She smiles softly, brushing her knuckles against his cheek. The touch is light enough that it makes him jump, just a little bit, and dart his eyes up to look at her. "Fine," she says, taking a leap for both their sakes, "let me amend that then: I'm perfectly fine with you thinking other people are attractive, including men."

Poor Percy looks almost stricken. "How-- how did you--?"

Vex reaches up to rest a hand on his head, gently guiding him to her chest. He hesitates for a moment, just staring at her in confusion, before he allows her to move him so his head is resting over her heart. He melts into her, his arm coming up to wrap loosely around her middle. She says, "Percy, I know you very well."

"Better than I know myself," he agrees, his voice gone quiet.

"I've noticed. I didn't want to say anything unless you came to me first." She shrugs. "It isn't my place."

Hesitantly, he says, "I thought I was being subtle."

She smiles and pushes her fingers further into his white hair. "You were, I'm just unusually perceptive." He sighs deeply, the weight of a secret off his shoulders. "So, women and men, huh?"

"I suppose," he says slowly, "although mostly I'm just interested in you."

Warmth blossoms in her chest.

"I'm flattered," she says, and she genuinely is because, as someone in the same position, she feels the same. "There’s nothing to worry about, darling, about any of that. You are fantastically normal. Other people are attractive besides just us, Percy. That's life." Vex prods him with her foot. "Like that barkeeper at the tavern we went to with Pike and Grog in Westruun?"

He smiles timidly. "He was attractive but he was, ah, not my type..."

Percy goes quiet, but the way he trails off tells her he isn't done.

"Darling?" she prompts softly, running her fingers through his hair soothingly in the way she knows he likes.

Percy hesitates, clearly nervous. "I don't want you to get mad at me."

"Percy," she breathes out, turning slightly so she can get a better look at him. His cheeks are flushed, his pale complexion doing him no favors. "Why would I be mad at you, darling? I'm not exactly solely interested in men, as you've probably picked up on over the years. It would be pretty hypocritical for me to be upset with you over this."

He shakes his head, still resting on her chest. "It's not that, it's... who I've been attracted to. My type, so to say."

"Listen, Percival, nothing you could say about this could make me angry with you." She runs her tongue over her bottom lip before she continues. "I want you to feel safe talking to me about this. I don't want you to be afraid of upsetting me."

He remains quiet for a minute, his breath tickling her skin as he breathes, clearly thinking over her words. Finally, Percy turns his head and buries his face into her neck before saying, "Vax."

That startles a laugh out of Vex, and Percy buries his face deeper. She repeats, "Vax?"

Percy nods.

She laughs again, because she can't help it, although she instantly feels bad because of the brief shake that passes through his body at the sound. She clears her throat and resumes her gentle petting, her blunt nails scratching gently against his scalp in the way that calms him down. "Oh, darling, I'm not upset!" Percy peaks up at her then, a flash of blue irises against flushed pink skin. She smiles softly at him before pointing at herself. "I mean, if anything it just means that you're very consistent in your tastes regardless of gender, which I can appreciate."

Percy lets out a nervous chuckle, still looking unsure, his blush creeping down the back of his neck in the most adorable way. "I'm glad you think that way. I was, ah, rather worried you'd be upset considering..."

He trails off again, but she finishes for him. "Considering he's my brother?"

He clears his throat and nods.

"No, darling, it's fine," she assures. "I'm not upset, not unless you're sneaking off for romantic rendezvous with my twin brother and kissing him when I turn my back--"

"No," Percy cuts in quickly and firmly.

"- in which case that would definitely be a talk we'd have to have, but otherwise I'm perfectly fine with knowing you think we're both attractive," she finishes. After a moment of thought, she adds, "Actually, I think it might be a little weirder if you didn't think we were both attractive, even just a little bit. We are very similar."

Percy gives a timid shrug, a lot of the tension easing out of his body at her reassurances.

"Can I ask if there's any other man you've been attracted to that springs to mind?" she asks.

Embarrassed, he buries his face in her neck and says something muffled.

"What was that, darling? I couldn't understand you."

He shifts just a little bit before he says, a little louder this time, "Kashaw." He shoves his face back against her immediately.

Vex laughs because she guessed as much but she wanted to hear it. “While we’re at it, can I ask-- Tary--?”

Percy nods, voice still muffled, “But he’s a step away from my usual type.”

“That’s alright, dear. We all have our exceptions.”

“What’s yours?” he asks, almost shyly.

She hums thoughtfully before finally admitting, “Grog.”

For a minute Percy looks up at her like he’s just been hit, eyes wide. Then he buries his face back into her neck. “I wasn’t even going to _tell_ you about that one.”

Vex laughs, loud and pleasantly surprised.

"So," she says after Percy has snuggled closer to her, wrapping his long limbs around her in what almost feels a protective gesture, like he's scared to let her go unless she vanishes. "Me, Vax, and Kashaw, huh?"

Percy groans against her neck. "I'm going to regret telling you this, aren't I?"

"Maybe," she says, which is Vex'ahlia-speak for 'yes, absolutely'. "Dark hair, snarky attitudes... you definitely have your type down, don't you?"

He grumbles but doesn't respond.

She laughs. "Oh, darling, I'm just messing with you. Say the word and I'll drop it."

"No," he says with a sigh, "I don't mind it from you, not in here." He seems to hesitate for a moment before he continues, "But could you please... ah..." He fumbles then stops, his aborted sentences left hanging awkwardly in the air.

"I won't tell anybody else," she assures him, guessing what he was thinking. She feels him noticeably relax against her, her confirmation that she was right. "It's not my place."

"Thank you," he says quietly, then adds, "and thank you for... just, thank you."

Suddenly overcome with tenderness, she curls so she can press a soft kiss against his forehead. "Anything for the person I love."

He chuckles at that. "Sap."

She whacks him playfully and he laughs louder. "No! You don't get to emotionally distance yourself from this, you fucker!"

His laughter slowly subsides, his arms tightening around her middle and pulling her even closer. "I can be perfectly emotionally present and admit I love you with my whole heart while also acknowledging the objective sappiness of that sentiment."

In response, she simply moves her cold feet back to brush against his leg, relishing the incredibly undignified yelp that he makes when their skin makes contact. She smirks, although after a moment it softens. "I like sappiness."

"I do too," he admits after composing himself again. "I didn't think I'd ever like this sort of thing but, ah, well-- I didn't ever really think I'd have something like this, something like... something like us."

Warmth blossoms in her chest at his words, and she responds by whispering, "Sap."

"Guilty."


End file.
